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Saturday, 29 August 2015

I am so excited that today is the day I am giving away a $200 Dixie Outlet Mall gift card to one lucky reader! yay!!

If you have been following my blog this month, you will remember I was asked to participate in a blogger challenge with Dixie Outlet Mall called "She Who Hunts Finds." I was asked to take a Wild Side quiz to find out my shopping persona, and then I was given $200 to create an outfit. (Click HERE for the complete post)

I spotted some pretty awesome deals, and created a few amazing looks which I blogged about HERE showcasing my Outfit Reveal. I still can't believe I saved over $200 shopping at Dixie Outlet Mall!

Well now I am giving you the chance to head to the mall with a $200 gift card!! I want you to find some Dixie Deals too! If you feel like taking the Wild Side quiz just go to www.DixieWildSide.com

Enter to win via the Rafflecopter App below. Contest is open to Canadian Residents only. Good luck!!

For more information on Dixie Outlet Mall such as their hours and directions visit there website HERE

Back by popular demand, Treehouse Big Day Out is returning to the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto on September 12 and 13, 2015.

They will offer two separate ticketed events each day- a morning event starting from 9:00am to 1:00pm with stage shows from 10am to 12pm and an afternoon event from 2:30pm to 6:30pm with stage shows from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. They special event will also be televised on Treehouse this Fall.

The 2 day live event will feature exciting activities for kids of all age, and special performances by The Wiggles, Splash 'N Boots and Treehouse's own children's music duo. Just some of the activities include meet and greet photo opportunities with fan-favourites Treehouse characters, and a Nelvana digital play station featuring free WiFi to download the new TreehouseGo app, and much more. Also, all attending kids get to take home a festival program full of activities and colouring pages.

The Wiggle's will also sing songs from their brand new CD and DVD "Rock & Roll Preschool" that will also air on their new season of their TV series on Treehouse.

Tickets for Treehouse Big Day Outmay be purchased at Ticketmaster beginning on Friday, June 12. Click HERE for more details.

Now who would like to win 4 tickets to the show?!

Enter the Rafflecopter App below for a chance to win a pack of 4 tickets. This contest starts Saturday, August 29, 2015 and ends Friday, September 4, 2015. Open to Canadian residents only. Good Luck!

Ok I have to admit something before you read any further. My name is Natasha and I am SHOEAHOLIC!!! There, I said it! I feel so much better. Please, read away!

Last week on the blog, I talked about Dixie Outlet Mall She Who Hunts Finds Blogger Challenge that I am participating in. I was given a $200 gift card to put together an outfit (or two) for the fall from any of the Dixie retailers. Well, I headed to the mall last weekend and picked up some pretty awesome deals that I can't wait to share with you.

When I got to the mall and started to shop, I had an idea in mind. I wanted to try and find an outfit that could be used in multiple ways. Something that I could make look dressy for a night out, and also make casual for running a quick errand. I always try to re-wear outfits that I purchase as much as possible to get the most out of my money.

The way I achieved both looks for this challenge were in the shoes. I love shoes. I was serious when I said I was a shoeaholic. I have 4 book cases full of them, and I still feel the need to expand my collection, lol. I know, I have an issue.

I purchased 4 pairs of shoes during this shopping haul. Why? Well, first off, I got some pretty amazing deals on the shoes, so how could you pass on that. Second, I wanted to wear the outfit during all types of weather conditions in the fall, so I got an assortment of styles.

Here are the 2 looks I created. I saved a total of $216.39!!!

My dressy look:

The first thing I spotted was this beautiful knitted sand/sliver sweater from Dynamite for only $10! (Reg. $49.90) I fit into the small but I bought a medium. I was looking for a more looser fit, so I could wear it off the shoulder sometimes. I wanted to pair it with black leggings, and I found these cute ones at Urban Planet. The leggings had pleather on the thighs and down both sides of each leg. They were at a great price of $14.99.

Nine West had some crazy sales on shoes. I bought these suede pumps for $44.99 (Reg. $84.99) and I absolutely love them!

For my accessories, I bought this pretty silver necklace from Aldo for $12.00, and this cute clutch from Ardene for only $2.90. It was regular $9.50, but it was priced wrong!

For another night out with the girls or a date night with my husband, I can use the same outfit and just change up the shoes for a different look. In these pictures below, I bought 2 pairs of booties. The black fringe booties I picked up at Sirens for $15 (Reg. $39.99) and the open toe booties I grabbed at Nine West for $44.95 (Reg. $84.99).

My casual look:

For this look, I wanted more of a comfy feel, so I picked up these cute brown boots from Urban Plant for $39.99. I love that they will not only go with leggings, but skinny jeans too. Perfect for walking my son to school or heading out to run errands. Then for those cooler nights, I found this jacket at Dynamite for a steal! It was only $15!! (Reg. $79.90) I LOVE that the arms are pleather which match with my leggings perfectly.

Here is a breakdown of my spending:

STORE ITEM SUGGESTED VALUE I PAID I SAVED

Dynamite Sweater $49.90 $10 $39.90

Garage Jacket $79.90 $15 $64.90

Urban Plant Leggings $14.99 $14.99 $0

Urban Plant Boots $39.99 $39.99 $0

Ardene Clutch $9.50 $2.90 $6.60

Aldo Necklace $12.00 $12.00 $0

Sirens Booties $39.99 $15 $ 24.99

Nine West Pumps $84.99 $44.99 $40

Nine West Booties $84.99 $44.99 $40

TOTAL $416.25 $199.86 $216.39!!

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Isn't that crazy?! I saved $216.39!! The quiz was right. My shopping persona is the Wolf. I found some awesome deals!

If you have never been to Dixie Outlet Mall, I totally suggest you head out there and check it out. The deals are incredible. It's definitely worth the trip. I found the mall very clean and the staff at all the stores very friendly and helpful. I also loved that it was very easy and quick to get home. The ramp to the QEW was one right hand turn out of the mall parking lot!

For more information on Dixie Outlet Mall, check out their website HERE

Thursday, 20 August 2015

A few weeks ago, we went to Chicago for a small vacation, and to see some family friends. My husband and I have been before (pre kids), so we thought we would visit again so the kids could see the city.

We decided to take them to 360 Chicago which is located at 875 N Michigan Avenue in the Hancock building in downtown Chicago.

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You are 1,000 feet above the city, and overlooking Lake Michigan with 360 degree views! Just breathtaking!

They also have a gift shop if you wish to purchase any souvenirs.﻿

If you wanted to grab a bite to eat, they do have some snacks and drinks to purchase at a café. They also have a bar area as well if you wanted to purchase a alcoholic drink.

They also have a new and exciting attraction called the TILT! I was a bit bummed out because it was shut down for maintenance when we were there, so I never got to experience it. :(

It looks so cool!! There are 8 windows that extend out and tilt 30 degrees over The Magnificent Mile and the city skyline.

Tickets for Tilt are only $7 which I think is totally worth it! (Admission to the observation deck is not included in that price.)

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General Admission for adults is $19.00 and kids 3-11 are $13.00.

For more information on visiting 360 Chicago, check out their website HERE

Discloser: I was provided complementary tickets to this but all opinions are my own. ﻿

Monday, 17 August 2015

My husband and I love road trips! There is something about packing up a car, hitting the road, and stopping at random gas stations, and rest stops that excite us, lol. We love it! I also love that we have so much time to actually TALK to one another, since we don't get the time when we are back home with our busy schedules.

Well this road trip was a bit different. We weren't alone. We decided to take a family trip with our 2 kids to Chicago, and we weren't 100% sure about how the drive was going to go. From our place is 9 1/2 hours, and we knew we were going to be making multiple stops. For this reason, we made sure we left bright and early to give ourselves plenty of time to get to our destination. As we pulled out our driveway we crossed our fingers hoping it wasn't a big mistake, lol

Well I am pleased to announce it was a success!! They kids were great! Yes, we got a lot of "are we there yet" questions in the back seat, but we made sure we brought things that would keep the kids busy.

Here is my list of MUST HAVE'S to make your trip a happy one!

1.) iPad- I made sure the day before we left our ipad was loaded with a bunch of new apps (games) for my son to play when we were on the road. We sat down together and picked a bunch of new ones, and he wasn't allowed to play any until we were in the car. That way they were all fresh and new, and he wouldn't get bored of them. **Make sure you FULLY charge it too before you leave. They last thing you want is for it to die 1/2 way into your trip.

2.) DVD PLAYER- If you don't have one already installed in your vehicle, you can buy one that plugs into your car charger. The screens strap right to the headrest. Another option would be to buy a portable DVD player. We actually got these from my parents last Christmas from Canadian Tire and absolutely love them! We don't have them installed all the time, we just bring them out for long drives so the kids can watch movies. For this trip we brought a few of their favourite movies and TV shows that they could watch on the drive.

3.) SNACKS and DRINKS-I packed a lot of snacks and drinks!!! Yes, it's always fun to pick up a snack here and there when you stop for gas, but they are a bit pricey. You may also not find the healthiest items, so I wanted to pack my own. For drinks, I brought plenty of water and a couple of Sippy cups of milk for my daughter. I brought a thermos type cup for my son. For snacks, I packed fruit, cheese, crackers, veggies, raisins and granola bars.

4.) TOYS and BOOKS- For toys, I made sure to bring ones that didn't have a lot of little parts, so they wouldn't get lost in the car. My son wanted to bring a couple of his monster trucks and a couple of his favourite books. For my daughter, I packed a few of her squeaky toys, a soft baby book, and her bear that lights up and plays songs.

5.) SING SONGS- I made a list of songs that we sing at home with the kids to sing together in the car. We sang itsy bitsy spider, twinkle twinkle little star, you are my sunshine, the wheels on the bus etc..

6.) GAMES- One of my son's favourite games to play is "I spy" so we made sure to play that for a bit on our way there, and on the way home.

Oh and don't forget to MAKE STOPS!! Don't rush, enjoy the time together. We stopped every 2 hours. Not just for the kids, but for us as well. We stretched our legs, went to the bathroom, had a snack etc.

Saturday, 15 August 2015

I am so excited! I was asked to participate in this blogger challenge with Dixie Outlet Mall. I received a $200 Dixie Outlet Mall gift card to put together an outfit (or two) from any of the Dixie retailers!!! Who wouldn't be excited about that? Plus, what girl doesn't like to shop?!

My first assessment was to "discover my wild side" by taking a 1 minute quiz at www.DixieWildSide.com to find out which shopping persona I am. Each shopping persona reveals what kind of deal huntress you really are when you shop. Out of the 6 animals, can you guess which one I turned out to be?

The Lion: Fiercely fashion forward with an untamed sense of style. You're proud to take care of the shopping for the whole family. It's not hard to see why everyone knows your the queen of the jungle.

The Eagle: Soaring through the mall, you hunt efficiently. You know what you love and you zero in on fresh finds. You're always first to swoop in on the best deals with the greatest of ease.

The Swan: You're elegant with natural grace. You float from store to store before settling on just anything. Your selective style glows with soft colours and flowing fabrics.

The Peacock: Your colourful ways are sure to catch the eyes and envy of everyone around. Daring, bright, and bold-you're ready to fly your fashion feathers no matter the occasion.

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The Wolf: You're leader of the pack when it comes to navigating through the mall with a group of friends. Your fellow wolves seek out your deal finding expertise because the opinion of the group is always in style.

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I am the.......

I wasn't surprised at all when I saw I was "THE WOLF". My sister always wants to come with me when I go shopping because I usually find the deals! I always map out my route too. Hit the stores that I love first and if I still have time I will check out the others. lol

If you want to find out which shopping persona animal you would be, take the quiz yourself. Then, at the end you can enter to win a $1000 shopping spree to Dixie Outlet Mall! ﻿

Today I am heading to Dixie Outlet Mall on the hunt to find the perfect outfit (or two) at a great deal! I can't wait to get shopping! Wish me luck!

Oh and keep an eye out on the blog for an aaaaamazing giveaway I have coming up. You can win a $200 gift card to Dixie Outlet Mall!

Friday, 14 August 2015

Last night we took our son to the Marvel Universe LIVE show held at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Since he had never been on a train before, we decide to go that route rather than drive down. It's also so much easier, and less stressful not having to deal with any traffic and parking downtown. Plus, if you take the train they have an entrance to the Air Canada Centre right from Union Station so its very convenient.

My son LOVES superheroes, so when he found out that we were going to the show he was beyond excited. I probably shouldn't of told him so early because you can imagine how many times he would ask me if "today" was the day. I think next time, I will just surprise him the day of and save myself the headache. lol

As soon as we got to our seats he put on his Spiderman hat, and waited patiently for the show to start!

My son never once took his eyes off the show. He was so amazed by all the action! There was everything from crazy lights, fire, smoke, motorcycle stunts, acrobatics and sound effects. It was action packed that's for sure!

My son loves Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man and the Hulk. He thought it was so cool how Spider-Man at one point was swinging into the audience. He was also so excited when the Hulk came out at the end. I think a lot of kids loved that part. You could hear the whole audience screaming. Even a little boy that was beside me got out of his seat, and started jumping up and down. It was so cute.

This show is definitely a great family show and perfect for kids of all ages.

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The show is approximately 2 hours with a 15 min intermission. I am so happy they had an intermission because that was the only way to get my son to go to the bathroom. He probably would of wanted to hold it until the show was over. lol

If you have never been to a Marvel Universe LIVE show I definitely recommended it- especially if your kids are into superheroes and comic books. My son is already asking when they are coming back! lol

For more information or to find out if a show is playing near you, check out their website HERE

Disclaimer: I was provided complementary tickets to the show, however all opinions are my own. ﻿